Learning Sustainability in the Harvesting Practices of a Forest-Based Company

Abstract

Purpose: The objective of this study is to understand how the learning process of sustainability occurs within the context of the harvesting practices of a forest-based company. Originality/value: The study contributes to understanding the learning process of sustainability under the approach of practice when demonstrating how the knowledge of sustainability is created and reproduced from the practices established by a group. In practical terms, the narrative of the flow of knowing and learning has the potential of assisting managers and educators to structure more integrative corporate education projects, in which the initiatives are integrated into the practices of the occupational communities. Design/methodology/approach: This is a qualitative research of descriptive nature, through a single-case study in a forest harvesting operation in a Brazilian company that has sustainability at the core of its business strategy. It was adopted as collection instruments the in-depth observation, the semi-structured interview, and the documental research, which were analyzed through the thematic analysis of narratives. Findings: The results suggest that, in the given context, the learning process of sustainability happens in a combination of the processes of creation and dissemination of knowledge conducted by the company and the practices developed within the occupational communities. There are indications that, in a social construction process, new working models are learned, based on an entanglement of planning, safety, and discursive practices, activating the knowledge-in-practice of sustainability.